Improvement in machinery for making piano-forte cases



- s. PORTER.

MACHINERY FOR MAKING PIANOFORTE GASES.

ii No. 97,551. PatentedDem 7, 1869.

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UNITED SrA'rEs PATENT UFFIGE.

sAWYne PORTER, 0F Lnonmsrrm, amssacntfs'nr'rs, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND LEVI w. FORTE i, or SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN MACHINERY FOR MAKING PIANO-FORTE CASES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 97,551, dated December 7, 1869.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Sawvnn lou'rnn, of Leominster, of the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Machine for Rounding the Corners of Piano-Forte Cases; and I do hereby declare the same to be fully described in the following specification, and represented in the accompanying drawings, of which- Figure 1 is a top view, Fig. 2 a side elevation, and Fig. 3 a vertical and longitudinal section, of the said machine.

In the drawings, A denotes the frame of the said machine, such frame consisting of a bedframe, a, and also of two posts, I) b, erected on such bed-frame and capped by a cross-beam, o, the said parts being arranged in manner as represented. Another frame, B, applied to the two posts I) b so as to be guided by them in its vertical movements, depends from a screw, 0, which screws through a projecting ear, (I. The screw, pivoted in the cap-piece c, has a groovedv pulley, d, fixed on the extension of its journal. About this pulley and another pulley, e, fixed on an upright cranked shaft, f, an endless band, 9, travels, in order to transmit rotary motion from the cranked shaft to the screw. V V

The adjustable frame B supports, in bearings' h h, a horizontal shaft, D, which carries a cutter-wheel, E, provided with two or any other number of concave edge -outters, i 1', suitable for effecting the rounding of the corner of the pianoframe. There is also a driving-pulley, k, fixed on the shaft of the cuttenwheel. In conjunction with the cutter wheel I employ a platform,-G, having its two outer edges at a right an gle with each other, and with each arranged in a plane passing through the center of the axis of the cutter-wheel, and disposed at an angle of forty-five degrees therewith. These edges (marked lm in the drawings) serve as gages to determine the true position of the piano-frame when placed on the platform. At their junction, or at its cornor, the platform is rounded, as shown at a,

in order to allow the cutters to pass below its top.

In using the machine, the piano-case to be rounded is to be placed on the platform, the bottom of the case resting on the top of the platform, and with the end and side of the corner to be rounded broughtelose against the gage-edges or gages Z m. If desirable, small lips may be raised on these gages for. the end and side of the case to abut against; but, generally speaking, this is not necessary nor desirable, as the weight of the case will sufl'lCO to keep the case in place on the platform; or clamps may be used to prevent it from starting out of its proper position thereon.

The case having been thus suit-ably adjusted, the cutter-wheel is to be put in revolution, and gradually lowered upon the case until it may have cut and passed entirely through the corner, or have reduced it as required.

The amount of labor and time saved by my machine over the common process of rounding the corner by tools and by manual labor is very great.

I am aware of the subject of the United States Patent No. 72,371, granted December 17, 1867, to Eleazer Coffin, for a machine for rounding the corners of slate-frames. I make no claim to such machine. My invention differs materially therefrom; for, in the first place, my cutter-wheel, while revolving and in operation, moves in a straight and vertical line,-

gage, whereas in my machine two become essential.

Having described my said machine, what I claim therein is as follows:

1. The above-explained arrangement of the edges or gages t m of the platform G, with the cutter-wheel E, applied to the frame A, and so as to operate withsuch platform, substantially in manner as specified.

2. The combination of the concave cutterwheel E, its frame B, its operative. screw 0, the vertical guides b b, and the platform G, formed as set forth, and. arranged as described, with the said cutter-wheel and its operative mechanism, the whole being as and for the purpose and to operate as specified.

Witnesses: SAWYER PORTER.

Orrs ATHERTON, O. M. CARTER. 

